Surface Engineering Processes Research Articles

Microgravity as a platform to enhance drug loading efficiency in nanomaterials

Drug loading in nanoparticles, with their application in nanomedicine, finds potential benefits over free drugs with increased drug bioavailability, reduced side effects, improved targeted delivery, and controlled drug release. However, the current nanomaterial systems, including metallic, polymer, protein, lipids, and other nanoparticles, face severe challenges with poor drug loading efficiency. This limitation can affect the amount of drug that can be incorporated, potentially requiring higher doses or alternative strategies for certain medications. Several studies have been carried out to improve drug loading efficiency in nanomaterials. However, the process is labor-intensive, expensive, time-consuming, unscalable, and needs subject expertise, and the surface engineering process differs from material to material. Therefore, there is a need for the development of a common platform to enhance drug-loading efficiency for all the nanomaterials. In our research work, we have explored the potential of microgravity as a novel platform for enhancing drug-loading efficiency in nanomaterials. The drug loading efficiency was found to be increased more than two-fold in iron oxide nanoparticles (from 50.4 ± 2.3 % to 99 ± 0.05 % with sustained drug release for 120 h) and four-fold in liposomes (from 14.28 ± 0.4 % to 97.2 ± 1 % with sustained drug release for 12 h). We also confirmed that the microgravity-based drug-loaded nanomaterials exhibited excellent drug release, biocompatibility, and anticancer efficacies against breast cancer (MCF-7) cells. Our findings set the stage for exploring microgravity as a unique platform to enhance drug loading efficiency in nanomaterials, paving the way for innovative developments in drug delivery and space-based pharmaceutical research.

Combined Effect of Underlayer and Deposition Solution to Optimize the Alignment of Hematite Photoanodes.

This study investigates the optimization of hematite (α-Fe2O3) photoanodes for enhanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance and reproducibility, which are crucial for photocatalytic applications. Despite hematite's potential, hindered by inherent limitations, significant improvements were realized by introducing a titanium dioxide (TiO2) underlayer and ethanol-modified deposition. The influence of the deposition methods was understood by potential-dependent photoelectrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis. The introduction of the TiO2 underlayer effectively increased the density of states, preferable for the electron transport in the bulk hematite, and the ethanol deposition on a TiO2 underlayer led to a stable surface state formation (S1 state) for the photoexcited hole transfer. This analysis illuminated the intricate interplay between electron transport in the bulk and photogenerated hole transfer at the solution interface, thereby facilitating smoother charge transfer. These findings underscore the viability of surface engineering and meticulous process optimization in addressing critical challenges in photocatalyst development.

Surface regulation of perovskite oxides with cation preference for efficient trifunctional electrocatalysts

This study presents a straightforward chemical approach to induce cationic surface defects on SrCoO3-δ (SCO) perovskites by selectively etching a-site Sr elements on the surface. The modified SCO-30 catalyst from this method exhibits an optimized thickness of cobalt-rich amorphous layer enriched with oxygen vacancies. This modification enhances the trifunctional catalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an alkaline electrolyte. Importantly, the perovskite's structure remains unchanged during the surface engineering process. These findings underscore cationic defect engineering as an effective strategy for the rational design of high-performance electrocatalysts, showcasing potential applications in diverse electrochemical processes.

Research And Application Of 3D Collaborative Design in Oil and Gas Field Surface Engineering

With the constant development of major oil and gas fields at home and abroad towards the direction of digitalization and intelligent technologies, the traditional surface engineering process has encountered the challenges of limited professional collaborative design and poor data connection, etc. The advanced 3D collaborative design has gradually become the mainstream platform of oil and gas field surface engineering design due to its features of a higher degree of model reduction and its advantages of cross-discipline, cross-platform, and cross-region collaborative design. However, in the course of current station modeling and designing, due to the complexity of engineering and the limits of design software, etc., the problems of mutual transmission failure amongst models and the loss of attribute information are prone to occur, causing a bad impact on the work efficiency of 3D collaborative design. In this paper, the commonly used 3D collaborative design software in oil and gas fields has been systematically discussed along with the common issues and their solutions in aspects of 3D design analyzed. Moreover, the effective application of collaborative design in the stage of procurement and construction, and the stage of the operation and maintenance of the digital station shall be separately discussed. While improving the efficiency of 3D collaborative design, it also plays the role of guidance in strengthening the digital and intelligent construction foundation of oil and gas fields.

PREDICTION OF DEPTH OF NITRIDE LAYER IN IRON DURING GAS NITRIDING USING NEURAL NETWORK

Surface engineering of materials can add economic value to the material. Gas nitriding in iron is a typical thermochemical surface engineering process at eutectoid temperatures, where nitrogen diffuses to the surface to form nitride layers in the form of gamma phase and epsilon phase. In this study, a computational approach will be taken to predict the formation of the nitriding layer. In the prediction, a backpropagation neural network is used with input parameters of temperature, nitriding potential and time with an output of nitriding layer depth. This prediction does not distinguish the phase formed in the nitriding layer. The best results were obtained in the model of single hidden layer with 5 neurons and two hidden layers with the formation starting with 6 neurons followed by 5 neurons. The mean square error of the training data for the single hidden layer is 0.0027. While for two hidden layers the value is higher at 0.0032. The results obtained for the absolute mean error and root mean square values for the single hidden layer model are 0.6117 and 0.9670. For the two hidden layers model, the absolute error and root mean square values are 0.5894 and 1.0472. It can be seen from the correlation coefficient that both models can only predict well at depths of more than 10 μm.

Self-sterilization and self-powered real-time respiratory monitoring of reusable masks engineered by bioinspired coatings

Surgical masks are crucial personal protective equipment to prevent and suppress the transmission of highly infectious viruses, especially suffered from some pandemic outbreaks. However, due to the lack of sterilization functions, the long-term reused masks become the hotbed of microorganisms and further cause additional damages to human health. Furthermore, it is desirable to endow multifunctionalities to the masks, such as self-powered real-time respiratory monitoring to forecast breath-related diseases. Although many efforts have been made towards those requirements, the complicated surface engineering process and involved extra weight of these mask still brought adverse effects in high respiratory resistance and poor wearing comfortability. In this work, we reported a facile fabrication strategy towards multifunctional masks based on the surface modification of melt-blown cloth by two kinds of bioinspired coatings. After sequentially performed mussel-inspired polydopamine coating and metal-phenolic network (Fe3+ and gallic acid) coatings, the obtained masks not only maintained the features of light, flexibility, breathability and filterability, but also realized the self-sterilization under the sunlight irradiation, thus allowing the facile reutilization for many times. Moreover, benefiting from the wet electricity generated by carboxyl group of gallic acid, the modified mask could effectively monitor the different respiratory status in real time. It was anticipated that this work can provide a new strategy towards the multifunctional integration of next-generation masks.

Analysis of technological possibilities of N‒O‒C‒H system arc plasma in surface engineering processes

The object of this study was the substances that could be used to generate arc plasma. Conventional and promising plasma media were analyzed in order to identify the most universal one in terms of a set of properties for efficient energy transfer of material. It is shown that the mean-enthalpy media have a harmonious ratio of temperature and enthalpy and could provide a change in the energy state of the processed material with maximum efficiency. It is established that the most universal set of properties is demonstrated by the medium enthalpy plasma of the N‒O‒C‒H system. The use of mixtures of air with hydrocarbons for its generation makes it possible to reach the average mass temperature of (5...7)·103 K and change the oxidative-reducing potential of the plasma medium over a wide range. Given this, heat treatment is possible with maximum preservation of the original composition of the material. Experimental studies of plasma flows of the N‒O‒C‒H system confirmed the presence of reducing components capable of binding oxygen to air that is sucked into the jet. On rich mixtures, the oxygen content in the jet at a distance of 100 mm does not exceed 5 %. The positive effect of combined energy input into plasma-forming substance on the process of generation and formation of plasma jet has been proven. The use of energy of different physical nature makes it possible to maintain the local energy parameters of the plasma flow during material processing. This is due to the release of additional heat as a result of the interaction of plasma and plasma components with ambient air. The use of plasma of the N‒O‒C‒H system in surface engineering technologies could expand the range of processed materials and reduce the operating costs of the process

Binder-free fabricated transparent Nb4+ implanted Nb2O5-x ultra-thin negatrode with enhanced areal capacitance and exceptional cyclic stability in aqueous electrolyte

Direct coating and surface engineering of Nb2O5-based active storage materials are important techniques for improving their interfacial interactions with the current collector and electrolyte ions, which have been difficult to achieve in a facile and energy-efficient way. Herein, we report the binder-free coating of shear-structured Nb4+ implanted Nb2O5 (Nb2O5-x) sub-micron thin pseudocapacitive negatrode with wide negative operating voltage (−1.20 V vs Ag/AgCl), improved electronic and ionic conductivity, reduced charge transfer resistance and enhanced energy storage capacity. The Nb4+ implanted electrode exhibits 3.5 mF/cm2 c. a. At 5 mV/s and 100% capacity retention after 3000 constant charge-discharge cycles. The unique electrode was realized via mild de-oxidation of electrodeposited Nb2O5 in a vacuum-less, low-temperature surface engineering process. This simple strategy is suitable for improving current collector-Nb2O5-x-electrolyte interfacial interactions and for industrial-scale production of improved pseudocapacitive negatrodes.

The Correlation between Surface Integrity and Operating Behaviour of Slide Burnished Components—A Review and Prospects

This review paper analyses and summarises the results found while studying the slide burnishing (SB) of metal components refracted through a prism during the surface engineering (SE) process, over the period of January 2019 to January 2023. According to the classification of SE processes defined in the article, SB as a technique in the scope of SE that belongs to the group of static surface cold working (SCW) processes, based on severe surface plastic deformation, and is realised under the condition of sliding friction contact with the treated surface. When the deforming element is natural or artificial diamond, SB is known as diamond burnishing (DB). SB is especially suited for axes, shafts, and holes with circular cross-sections but can also be implemented on flat-face and complex surfaces. SB is eco-friendly and a very economical method for producing mirror-like surface finishes on a wide range of ferrous and non-ferrous machined surfaces, but it can also be realised as a hardening and mixed process with the aim of significantly increasing the fatigue strength and wear resistance of the treated components. Based on a literature review of the results of the theory and practice of SB, an analysis on different criteria was carried out, and graphic visualizations of the statistical results were made. Additionally, the results were analysed using the integrated approach of SE to study the correlations between the apexes of the triangle: SB—surface integrity (SI)—operational behaviour (OB). On this basis, relevant conclusions were drawn, and promising directions for future investigations of SB were outlined.

Antimicrobial Polymeric Surfaces Using Embedded Silver Nanoparticles.

Pathogens (disease-causing microorganisms) can survive up to a few days on surfaces and can propagate through surfaces in high percentages, and thus, these surfaces turn into a primary source of pathogen transmission. To prevent and mitigate pathogen transmission, antimicrobial surfaces seem to be a promising option that can be prepared by using resilient, mass-produced polymers with partly embedded antimicrobial nanoparticles (NPs) with controlled size. In the present study, a 6 nm thick Ag nanolayer was sputter deposited on polycarbonate (PC) substrate and then thermally annealed, in a first step at 120 °C (temperature below Tg) for two hours, for promoting NP diffusion and growth, and in a second step at 180 °C (temperature above Tg) for 22 h, for promoting thermal embedding of the NPs into the polymer surface. The variation in the height of NPs on the polymer surface with thermal annealing confirms the embedding of NPs. It was shown that the incorporation of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) had a great impact on the antibacterial capacity, as the Ag NP-embedded polymer surface presented an inhibition effect on the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The tested surface-engineering process of incorporating antimicrobial Ag NPs in a polymer surface is both cost-effective and highly scalable.

EFFERVESCENT SUSPENSION SPRAY IN A GASEOUS CROSSFLOW

A spray of suspension, forms mainly solid particles in a liquid phase from the atomization of two or multiphase flow, mainly solid particles in a liquid phase, and its transport phenomena by a gaseous crossflow have many natural and industrial applications. For example, injection of suspension jet in a high-speed flow is used in the emerging surface engineering process called suspension plasma spray. Typically, submicron ceramic oxide particles are mixed with water or ethanol to form a suspension that is injected in a plasma plume using different types of injectors. Injection parameters such as the type of injector and momentum flux influence the size, velocity, and trajectory of suspension droplets in the plasma and the microstructure of the deposited coatings. Using an effervescent atomizer, due to its capability in transporting flows with various rheological properties is promising for injection of suspension into the gaseous crossflow. In this study, an effervescent atomizer was employed to introduce a suspension radially into the flow of gas at room temperature. The spray of suspensions with different concentrations of glass particles in water was investigated in the crossflow by phase Doppler particle analyzer. The results were validated and supported by studying the spray by shadowgraph and light diffraction techniques. The results of this study provide a better understanding of the suspension spray generated by an effervescent atomizer in a crossflow configuration. It was found that the solid concentration of the suspension (up 10 wt.%) causes a slight decrease in size and brings the penetration of the suspension droplets in the gas flow.

Surface-Engineered TiO2 for High-Performance Flexible Supercapacitor Applications

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) shows excellent pseudocapacitive properties. However, the low internal conductivity of TiO2 limits its use in supercapacitor applications. Therefore, an efficient surface engineering process was developed to enhance the overall pseudocapacitive performance of rutile TiO2 nanorods. Specifically, surface-engineered TiO2 nanorod arrays coordinated on carbon cloth were established through the Kapton tape-assisted hydrothermal route. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the formation of a tetragonal TiO2 rutile phase. Morphological analysis revealed the formation of uniform nanorods with an apparent high surface-to-volume aspect ratio. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed that the TiO2 synthesized in the presence of Kapton tape and annealed under air had high content of hydroxyl groups and Ti3+, which is favorable for supercapacitor performance. Surface treatment of the samples led to significantly enhanced conductivity and electrochemical behavior of TiO2. The surface-engineered TiO2 nanorod arrays show specific capacitance of about 57.62 mF/cm2 at 10 mV/s in 2 M KOH, with excellent rate capability of about 83% at 200 mV/s, and also exhibit long cycle life, retaining 91% of their original capacitance after 10,000 charge/discharge cycles, which is among the highest values reported for TiO2-based supercapacitors.Graphical

Estimation of abrasive wear of nanostructured WC-10Co-4Cr TIG weld cladding using neural network and fuzzy logic approach

Surface engineering is a great way to make wear-resistant mechanical components and increase their service life in industrial and commercial applications. The behaviour of surface engineering process parameters and their effect on the output is complex and nonlinear. This research aims to use artificial neural networks (ANN) and fuzzy logic techniques to establish a reliable modeling method and estimate the abrasive wear of nanostructured WC-10Co-4Cr TIG weld claddings. In the TIG welding process, the input variables for ANN modeling are weld current, weld speed, argon flow, and standoff distance, corresponding to the output variable for weld claddings' wear resistance. The ideal ANN model architecture has a topology of 4–7-7–1, while fuzzy logic is based on the Mamdani model. The ANN model predictions were more precise with an R-value of 0.999874 than the fuzzy logic model predictions (R-value:0.959). The results showed that the ANN model accurately predicted the association between TIG welding process parameters and abrasive wear.

Surface morphology engineering of metal oxide-transition metal dichalcogenide heterojunction

ABSTRACT A tremendous effort has been made to develop 2D materials-based FETs for electronic applications due to their atomically thin structures. Typically, the electrical performance of the device can vary with the surface roughness and thickness of the channel layer. Therefore, a two-step surface engineering process is demonstrated to tailor the surface roughness and thickness of MoSe2 multilayers involving exposure of O2 plasma followed by dipping in (NH4)2S(aq) solution. The O2 plasma treatment generated an amorphous MoOx layer to form a MoOx/MoSe2 heterojunction, and the (NH4)2S(aq) treatment tailored the surface roughness of the heterojunction. The ON/OFF current ratio of MoSe2 FET is about 1.1 × 105 and 5.7 × 104 for bare and chemically etched MoSe2, respectively. The surface roughness of the chemically treated MoSe2 is higher than that of the bare, 4.2 ± 0.5 nm against 3.6 ± 0.5 nm. Conversely, a 1-hour exposure of the multilayer MoOx/MoSe2 heterostructure with the (NH4)2S(aq) solution removed the amorphous oxide layer and scaled down the thickness of MoSe2 from ~92.2 nm to ~38.9 nm. The preliminary study shows that this simple two-step strategy can obtain a higher surface-area-to-volume ratio and thickness engineering with acceptable variation in electrical properties.

Toward Optimization of the Chemical/Electrochemical Compatibility of Halide Solid Electrolytes in All-Solid-State Batteries

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) that rely on the use of solid electrolytes (SEs) with high ionic conductivity are the holy grail for future battery technology, since it could enable both greater energy density and safety. However, practical application of ASSBs is still being plagued by difficulties in mastering the SE–electrode interphases. This calls for a wide exploration of electrolyte candidates, among which halide-based Li+ conductors show promise despite being not stable against Li or LixIny negative electrodes, hence the need to assemble cells with a dual SE design. In the work described herein, we studied the electrochemical/chemical compatibility of Li3InCl6 against layered oxide positive electrode (LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2, NMC622), carbon additive, and Li6PS5Cl under both cycling and aging conditions. Combining electroanalytical and spectroscopic techniques, we provide evidence for the onset of electrochemically driven parasitic decomposition reactions between Li3InCl6 and NMC622/carbon at lower potentials (3.3 V vs LiIn/In) than theoretically predicted in the literature. Moreover, to combat chemical incompatibility between dual SEs, we propose a new strategy that consists of depositing a nanometer-thick (1 or 2 nm) surface protective layer of Li3PO4 made by atomic layer deposition between Li3InCl6 and Li6PS5Cl. Through this surface engineering process with highly conformal and pinhole-free thin films, halide-based solid-state cells showing spectacular capacity retention over 400 cycles were successfully assembled. Altogether, these findings position halide SEs as serious contenders for the development of ASSBs.

Designing Triangular Silver Nanoplates with GSH/GSSG Surface Mixed States as Novel Nanoparticle-based Redox Mediators for Electrochemical Biosensing.

Herein, a dual signal-quenched electrochemical (EC) biosensing strategy utilizing surface-engineered trisodium citrate (TSC)-glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione (GSSG)-capped triangular silver nanoplates (Tri-Ag NPsTSC-GSH/GSSG) as a novel nanoparticle-based redox mediator was explored for biomarker determination. In contrast with conventional redox mediators, Tri-Ag NPsTSC-GSH/GSSG provided more admirable EC performance along with a lower oxidation potential (∼0.14 V). Taking advantage of the split-type mode, the immune response in a 96-well microplate was independent from EC detection, which could effectively eliminate the biological interference and thereby greatly enhance the sensitivity. As for the surface engineering process of Tri-Ag NPs, it was composed of partial GSH replacement and the formation of the GSH/GSSG surface mixed state. Primarily, the signal response of Ag NPsTSC-GSH decreased due to the hindrance of GSH on electron transfer. Moreover, varying proportions of GSH/GSSG could further impede the oxidation process of Tri-Ag NPsTSC-GSH/GSSG and eventually realize efficient dual signal quenching of this system. Notably, the ZIF-67@MIL-88B-GOx nanocomposite as the label was applied for a cascade reaction system with GSH peroxidase-like activities to form the optimal GSH/GSSG proportion, causing sensitive changes in signal response with a range of different antigen concentrations. On this basis, the fabricated biosensor provided measurable outputs of aflatoxin B1 concentrations in a linear range of 0.0005-50 ng/mL with a low detection limit of 0.61 pg/mL (S/N = 3). All of the results indicated that the novel biosensor could be a promising analytical tool for future biomarker detection.

Rendering passive radiative cooling capability to cotton textile by an alginate/CaCO3 coating via synergistic light manipulation and high water permeation

Personal thermal management textiles that put focus on cooling human body in hot environment attracts intense research interests since the urgent requirement for adjusting human activity to save energy even when we face extreme weather more frequently. Textiles produced from petrol-based fibers have shown their effective passive cooling effects. However, regeneratable passive cooling textiles are still lacking. In this study, we report a cotton-based effective passive cooling textile by interfacial engineering by alginate modification and in-situ generated CaCO3 particles. The Alg/CaCO3-cotton fabrics not only effectively cool the underlining surface via high reflectivity over solar spectra (∼90%) and high mid-infrared emissivity (0.97) in the atmospheric window, but also present enhanced water evaporation and water vapor permeation capabilities (36.51% higher water vapor transmission rate than pristine cotton fabric). The textile avoids overheating by 5.4 °C under direct solar irradiation, comparable to the performance of the reported petrol-based textile. The Alg/CaCO3-cotton also presents high washing stability, UV protection properties, faster drying and fire resistance properties. The surface engineering process is compatible with large-scale production. This work provides enlightening insights to regeneratable and wearable passive cooling materials and sheds light on the working mechanism of personal thermal management materials.

Physical and Mechanical Properties of Twin-Wire Arc Spray and Wire Flame Spray Coating on Carbon Steel Surface

Thermal Spray Coating is a material surface engineering process, where the coating material is heated until it melts then the melt is pushed with high-pressure air as individual particles or droplets to a surface. This study compares two thermal spray coating methods, twin-wire arc spray and wire flame spray to measure the level of hardness, coating strength and good quality of the coating and porosity. This study used medium carbon steel AISI 1045 as substrate and coating material with FeCrMnNiCSiSP alloy elements (AISI 420). Testing mechanical properties were undergone by hardness testing and pull-off test to determine the coating's adhesive strength. The microstructures were observed using a microscope to test the physical properties. After analyzing the research results, it can be concluded that the twin-wire arc spray coating process produces an adequate level of hardness and coating strength. Twin-wire arc spray can increase the percentage value of substrate surface hardness by 50,56 % and the average coating strength of 21,345 MPa. The microstructure observation results on the coating show that the coating results from twin-wire arc spray have good coating quality with the bonds between the elements contained in the FeCrMnNiCSiSP wire which are bonded to each other and form layered layers and minimal porosity in the coating.

Investigating the role of surface engineering in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions of energy technologies: An outlook towards 2100

Energy improvements in the energy sector constitute a key strategy to mitigate climate change. These expected improvements increasingly depend on the development of materials with improved surface characteristics. To prospectively assess the large-scale benefits and trade-offs of such novel surface engineering (SE) technology deployments in the energy sector, an integrated modelling framework is proposed. This paper links an integrated assessment model (IAM) forecasting socio-economic changes in energy supply with life cycle assessment (LCA) models of targeted technology candidates. Different shared socio-economic pathway narratives are used with the MESSAGE IAM to forecast future energy supply scenarios. A dynamic vintage model is employed to model plants decommissioning and adoption rates of innovative SE. Potential benefits and impacts of SE are assessed through prospective LCA. The approach is used to estimate the prospective GHG emission reduction potential achieved by large-scale adoption of innovative SE technologies to improve the efficiency of four energy conversion technologies (coal power plants, gas turbines, wind turbines and solar panels) until 2100. Applying innovative SE technologies to the energy sector has the potential of reducing annual CO2-eq emissions by 1.8 Gt in 2050 and 3.4 Gt in 2100 in an optimistic socio-economic pathway scenario. This corresponds to 7% and 8.5% annual reduction in the energy sector in 2050 and 2100, respectively. The mitigation potential of applying innovative SE technologies highly depends on the energy technology, the socio-economic pathways, and the implementation of stringent GHG mitigation policies. Due to their high carbon intensity, fossil-based technologies showed a higher GHG mitigation potential compared to renewables. Besides, GHG emissions related to the SE processes are largely offset by the GHG savings of the energy conversion technologies where the innovative SE technologies are applied.

Effect of plasma nitriding on tribological properties of nickel‑boron-nanodiamond electroless coatings

This study is an effort to investigate the synergic effect of nano-diamond (ND) addition and plasma nitriding (PN) treatment on tribological and structural properties of nickel‑boron (NiB) coatings. NiB/ND nanocomposites containing different amounts of NDs (0.0, 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 g/L) were produced in an electroless bath. Then, plasma nitriding was conducted on the samples for 1 h at 400 °C in an N2-H2 environment. To study phase analysis and examine the surface morphology of the samples, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) were utilized. The wear behavior and friction were determined under the normal load of 10 N using the pin-on-disk method. The surface roughness, microstructure, and microhardness were also assessed. The results showed that, as the ND concentration increased, the amorphous structure of as-plated (AP) Ni-B transformed to a semi-crystalline one. Moreover, the amorphous structure of the as-deposited NiB/ND coatings changed to a crystalline one after plasma nitriding, which resulted in a higher hardness value. NiB/0.5ND coating showed the highest hardness value (1523 HV0.1) and the highest wear resistance (0.8×10−10 Kg/N.m). The smoothest wear trace with no visible cracks is related to the worn surface of PN NiB/0.5ND sample, suggesting that the NiB/ND nanocomposite can be a promising candidate for surface engineering processes.